Are You a Washington Redskins “Fanatic”?

By Richard Rogers

Our Washington Redskins are one win away from back to back winning seasons since 1991. Our Washington Redskins are still “in the hunt” for consecutive playoff appearances in more than two decades. Let that sink in. I say “our” because I am a Washington Redskins “fanatic”. Webster’s defines “fanatic” as “outlook or behavior especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject”. I don’t know about you but I am enthusiastic, unreasonable, and wild about the Washington Redskins. I am native Washingtonian, and a lifelong Redskins “fanatic”. There’s no need for me to revisit of oft told stories of RFK, the Hogs, or Doug Williams’ magical quarter of football in Super Bowl XXII. This organization and its fan base have been married and divorced and seemingly, as of late, have reconciled and remarried.

As a “fanatic”, it’s our job to be completely unreasonable and irrational. Hearing fans complain about the play calling every week is hysterical. Could it be possible to call an NFL play from a recliner or a barstool? The “extravagant notion” that fans can read coverages, align formations and make substitutions, all with your assistant coaches in your ear is…well “fanatical”. But it’s what we’re supposed to do. As fans, we’re supposed to know what play we should have called and what players should play. Are you that guy that says we should have run it, when we threw it incomplete? Or do you ask why we didn’t we throw a fade (yeah, I said it) if we get stuffed at the goal line? It’s all relative folks, as “fanatics” we can be completely irrational, blinded by our enthusiasm. Don’t get me wrong, as fans, many of us know good football when we see it, and it doesn’t take years of scouting to know what works and what doesn’t. We get three hours a week to call plays, sign and release players and fire coaches. We’re “fanatics”! It’s what we do.

As fans, we tend to be excessive, wild and extravagant, especially when our Redskins are winning. There are talks of contract extensions and playoff scenarios. We make players MVP’s on a weekly basis, and worship at the altar of General Manager Scot McCloughan. Dare I say that winning makes a “Dancin’ Dan” Snyder seem almost cool? Doesn’t the work week go better? Isn’t it easier to talk football l with fans of other teams? Remember, as a “fanatic” it’s our job to have excessive enthusiasm.

But what if we lose? Many of us go to the other extreme. We question personnel moves, declare draft picks “busts”, cue our mock drafts and fire coaches. To think, as fans, many of us have fired twice as many coaches as Snyder in our minds, on blogs and in podcasts. Losing is ugly when you’re a fanatic, the pendulum swings in the opposite direction, and if you do enough of it, that enthusiasm is tough to return. Lets’ go deeper, Jay Gruden is the EIGHTH coach in 16 years…Cousins is the umpteenth starting quarterback in as many years. As fans, we tried to be enthusiastic about Marty Schottenheimer, but the rug was pulled out from under him. Spurrier and his pitch and catch offense had us euphoric after “OSAKA!” Don’t even get me started on Joe Gibbs 2.0. For those die hard fans, we looked for glimmers of a return to the old days, but aside from a few improbable late season runs, it was fleeting.

Now, the Redskins tend to be trending the right direction and I don’t think it’s “fools gold”. It’s safe for us to be fans. We have a QB who has thrown for over 4,000 yards in two consecutive seasons, a 2nd ranked offense, and NINE draft picks in 2017. Be overzealous. Be enthusiastic, and be unreasonable, and I’m not just talking about all the positives with this team. You can also fire Joe Barry, cut Shawn Lauvao…and heck call 40 run plays for Robert Kelley! Go for it! But here’s the rule, as a fan, you can’t do it half-way. You’ve got to go all the way with it, win or lose.

These are better times for the Redskins, so as fans we need to step our game up. If we’re going to criticize the play calling, review the cut ups and analysis offered by football people. Take time to listen to player and coach interviews and learn how to read between the lines. And most of all go to a game or two, if you don’t already do so. No place better to be a fanatic than Fed Ex field. You can see the field better to all align your formations and make the RIGHT play call. There are thousands of fans at Fed Ex that would love your “zeal” and “wild enthusiasm”. It’s what we do.

Lastly, when you go to the games make sure you represent correctly. If you wear a jersey, a current, retired, or Hall of Famer will do. It’s not very “fanatic-like” to roll into FedEx with a Donovan McNabb or Jesse Armstead jersey….nope! We’ve got to look the part right? We have to represent the glory days and days to come. There’s no one way to be a fanatic of this team, except to be consistent. Take stock of where you are in your “fandom” and adjust accordingly. The Redskins need as much enthusiasm, zeal, and extravagance as we can give them.